Women's Golf Picked Sixth In Big Sky Preseason Poll

Ogden, Utah – The Eastern Washington women's golf team has been tabbed sixth in the 2014 Big Sky Preseason Poll, the league office announced Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The Eagles received 60 points from the conference's coaches, just two behind both Northern Arizona and Montana.

"I think the poll is a fair assessment of where the coaches voted us," head coach Brenda Howe said. "I think we can beat some of the teams ahead of us, but I try to not put too much stock in the poll because it's basically a prediction for one tournament."

Portland State received 100 points and 10 first-place votes to top the poll while Sacramento State got 91 points and one first-place vote, good for second. Southern Utah rounds out the top three.

EWU finished sixth at last year's Big Sky Championships in Arizona, recording a season-low 298 in the third round for a grand total of 911 (301, 312, 298). That was the best round by an Eagle squad since 2008, and the best 54-hole effort since 2002.

The Eagles concluded their fall season at the Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate that saw sophomore Marissa Borja record a career-low 69 in the second round and placing third overall. Borja earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors after her stellar round.

"Marissa currently has the best career average in program history," Howe said. "I know she's excited to get going. I think a couple of our newcomers struggled a little bit in the fall, and I'm looking for them to play to their potential. Once they do, I think we can have a top five finish in the conference."

Eastern opens its spring schedule at the Red Rocks Invitational at the Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona, Ariz., on March 1.